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Chapter 5
‘If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud.’
‘That is very true,’ replied Elizabeth, ‘and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.’
In Chapter 5, Charlotte suggests to Elizabeth that Darcy, with his social status, has reason to be prideful. Elizabeth agrees, and in doing so highlights the idea that pride is their common flaw; because her own pride was wounded, she is inclined to believe the worst of Darcy, and will spend the rest of the text gradually deconstructing her bad first impression as she encounters a more nuanced version of his character. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Character: Elizabeth Bennet (the first quote).
Chapter 6
If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him
This quote from Chapter 6, spoken by Charlotte to Elizabeth, succinctly captures the potential downside of Jane’s composure: the idea that a suitor such as Bingley, without knowing whether his affections are reciprocated, will not be her suitor for long.
When she is secure of him, there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses.
In Chapter 6, Charlotte further insists to Elizabeth that Jane should, rather than take the time to explore her feelings for Bingley, instead capitalize on the opportunity to secure his affections. According to Charlotte, she can figure out her feelings for him later, but marrying him promptly is the most important thing. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Theme: Gender Roles (the first quote).
Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least.
Charlotte’s thoughts on marriage, which she continues to express to Elizabeth in Chapter 6, foreshadow her own experiences with Mr. Collins. To Charlotte, marriage is an economic affair entirely; whether one is happy with their spouse matters far less than whether one manages to marry at all. In Charlotte’s view, the less you know about the other person, the better, because knowing their disposition doesn’t change the necessity of the match.
You will be having a charming mother-in-law, indeed; and, of course, she will always be at Pemberley with you.
In Chapter 6, Miss Bingley, who has set her sights on Darcy, shares this sentiment with him after he admits to finding Elizabeth attractive during a dance at the Lucas house. The comment is a sarcastic one; Miss Bingley does not believe Elizabeth’s mother is charming, and the purpose of her criticism is twofold. For one thing, Miss Bingley, in her jealousy, wishes to paint Darcy a picture of his life should he marry Elizabeth. Undoubtedly, he will forever be forced to mingle with her family and her tiresome mother in particular. Furthermore, invoking the idea of Mrs. Bennet at the Pemberley mansion underscores the differences in social standing that exist between them. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Theme: Family Influence (the second quote) and in Quotes by Symbol: Pemberley (the first quote).
Chapter 7
The village of Longbourn was only one mile from Meryton; a most convenient distance for the young ladies, who were usually tempted thither three or four times a week, to pay their duty to their aunt and to a milliner’s shop just over the way. The two youngest of the family, Catherine and Lydia, were particularly frequent in these attentions; their minds were more vacant than their sisters’, and when nothing better offered, a walk to Meryton was necessary to amuse their morning hours and furnish conversation for the evening. . . . At present, indeed, they were well supplied both with news and happiness by the recent arrival of a militia regiment in the neighbourhood; it was to remain the whole winter, and Meryton was the headquarters.
In Chapter 7, the narrator offers a description of nearby Meryton, the village to which the Bennet sisters frequently traverse so they may enjoy a social life beyond the parameters of Longbourn. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Setting: Meryton.
Her hopes were answered; Jane had not been gone long before it rained hard. Her sisters were uneasy for her, but her mother was delighted.
In Chapter 7, Mrs. Bennet’s crusade to marry her daughters has consequences for Jane, who is forced to travel to Netherfield in the rain and becomes very ill as a result. Beyond serving as a plot point to further Elizabeth and Jane’s romantic journeys, as both spend plenty of time at Netherfield while Jane recovers, this detail highlights Mrs. Bennet’s preoccupation with marriage at the expense of her daughter’s well-being. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Theme: Family Influence (the third quote).
Elizabeth, feeling really anxious, determined to go to her, though the carriage was not to be had: and as she was no horsewoman, walking was her only alternative. She declared her resolution.
Venturing out alone, heedless of how it might appear to others, sets Elizabeth apart from much of society in Chapter 7. Her decision conveys to Darcy that she doesn’t set much store by convention (a quality they in some ways share), and that she cares for her family far more than she cares what people think. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Character: Elizabeth Bennet (the second quote).
That she should have walked three miles so early in the day, in such dirty weather, and by herself, was almost incredible to Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley
This quote from Chapter 7 illustrates the extent to which Elizabeth’s decision to walk to Netherfield is considered a breach of social norms. Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, representative of the upper class in general, are downright bewildered by her willingness to do something so uncommon and to arrive looking so unkempt.
Chapter 8
‘I am afraid, Mr. Darcy,’ observed Miss Bingley, in a half whisper, ‘that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes.’
‘Not at all,’ he replied: ‘they were brightened by the exercise.’
In Chapter 8, Miss Bingley attempts to draw attention to Elizabeth’s disheveled appearance and disregard for social norms as a means of dampening Darcy’s affection for her. Darcy’s response indicates the opposite is true, and his attraction to Elizabeth has only increased. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Character: Fitzwilliam Darcy (the second quote).
‘If they had uncles enough to fill all Cheapside,’ cried Bingley, ‘it would not make them one jot less agreeable.’
In Chapter 8, Mr. Bingley’s refusal to engage in the class snobbery his sisters so enjoy—and, indeed, to continue to commend Jane and Elizabeth’s personalities despite his sisters’ observations—distinguishes him. Unlike Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, he doesn’t care about connections, making him suitable for the unpretentious and good-natured Jane. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Character: Charles Bingley (the second quote).
I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any.
Elizabeth’s response to Darcy in Chapter 8 highlights not just Darcy’s arrogance and exacting expectations of women, but Elizabeth’s willingness to challenge him. In the midst of a conversation between Bingley, Darcy, and Bingley’s sisters, Elizabeth breaks in to point out that the laundry list of qualities Darcy and Bingley believe a woman must possess to be considered “accomplished” is unrealistic. Her witty retort offers Jane Austen the chance to criticize the double standards inherent in society’s standards for women, and to characterize Elizabeth as someone who stands by her opinion even in the face of opposition. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Theme: Gender Roles (the second quote).
